This document discusses coaching employees to improve performance. It begins by listing common reasons why employees may not do what managers want, such as not knowing what to do or how to do it. It then discusses how coaching focuses on future possibilities rather than past mistakes. The manager's role is to support the employee in achieving possibilities so both can succeed. It provides tips for analyzing performance issues, having discussions with employees, providing feedback, and addressing how feedback may be received poorly or defended against. The document emphasizes reinforcing positive behavior and describing issues factually to collaboratively set improvement plans.

1. Coaching Employees For
Improved Performance

2. Why Don’t Employees Do
What We Want Them To Do?
• Don’t know what to do.**
• Don’t know how to do it.
• Don’t know why they should.
• Obstacles beyond their control.
• Don’t think it will work.
• Think their way is better.
• Not motivated – poor attitude.

3. Why Don’t Employees Do
What We Want Them To Do?
• Incapable of doing it.
• Not enough time.
• Working on wrong priority items.
• They think they are doing it already.
• Poor management.
• Personal issues.
**Given as first or second answer 99% of the time, but
managers rarely start there.

4. Coaching
Coaching focuses on future possibilities,
not past mistakes.
A manager’s responsibility is to
provide support to the employee in
the attainment of possibilities
so that both may succeed.

5. Coaching Analysis
• Identify unsatisfactory performance
• Does the employee know their performance is not
what it should be?
• Does the employee know what is supposed to be done
and when?
• Are there obstacles beyond the employee’s control?
• Does employee know how to do it?

6. Coaching Analysis
• Do negative consequences follow performance?
• Do positive consequences follow non-performance?

7. Coaching: The Discussion
• Getting agreement a problem exists
• Mutually discuss alternative solutions
• Mutually agree on action to be taken to solve the
issue
• Follow up to ensure actions is taken and recognize
any achievement

8. Coaching: Feedback
• Silence
• Criticism
• Advice
• Reinforcement (positive)
• Be specific
• Timing

9. Coaching: Feedback
• Needs of person receiving the feedback
• Focus on behavior the receiver can do something
about
• Define impact on you, unit/team, company
• “I” statements versus “You” statements
• Message received?
• Be calm, sincere and monitor body language

10. Coaching: Feedback
• Reinforcement is the most effective form of feedback
• Criticism is the most ineffective
• Difference between criticism and advice is timing
• Criticism overpowers all other feedback
• Silence is not always “golden” – leaves open for
misinterpretation

11. Coaching: Feedback
Poorly Received
• Subjective
• Judgmental
• Blaming
• Threatening
• Demeaning
• Comparing
• Vague
• Guessing at motives

12. Employee Defense Strategies
• Excuses and sympathy
• Apology and promises
• Switching
• Anger
• Tears
• Self-pity
• Innocence and blaming
• Friendliness

13. Coaching: DESCribe
• Describe behaviors
• Effect
• Pause and Listen
• Solicit input
• Collaborate/choose what to do
• Follow-up, review performance and determine next
steps/plan

14. Keys to Coaching
• Contact and communication
• Counseling
• Mentoring
• Provide education
• Conflict resolution